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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050317">Hinata Shouyou's Guide to Matchmaking</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilycmbl/pseuds/emilycmbl'>emilycmbl</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bad Matchmaking, Blushing Kageyama Tobio, F/M, First years as second years, Getting Together, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Matchmaking, Mutual Pining, Nervous Yachi Hitoka, THAT'S A TAG? LMAO, but so is yachi maybe, i'm glad that's a tag lol</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:02:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,215</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27050317</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilycmbl/pseuds/emilycmbl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Hinata's pretty sure Kageyama and Yachi need all the help they can get if they ever want to be together, so that help is exactly what he intends to give.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou &amp; Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou &amp; Yachi Hitoka, Kageyama Tobio/Yachi Hitoka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>102</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hinata Shouyou's Guide to Matchmaking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Yachi, what do you think about Kageyama?” Hinata asks one day after practice.</p>
<p>Yachi just blinks. “What?”</p>
<p>The thing is, Hinata’s not blind. He’s known both Yachi and Kageyama for almost two years now (well, two years plus one game for Kageyama, to be meticulous about it) and in that time, he’s gotten closer to them than likely anyone else in Karasuno’s volleyball team. He knows a thing or two about each of them. Like that they’re both awkward messes in completely different ways, or that neither of them will back down from something once they set their mind to it — even if Yachi’s determination seems more like an active decision, while Kageyama’s stems more from an ingrained…<em>idiocy </em> isn’t the right word, but it’s close. Or that both of them seem to think they’re doing a really good job of hiding their stares at the other’s turned back. It took Yachi a bit to settle into the team at first, and she did get over her nerves — but for some mysterious reason they seem to hang on a bit more whenever she strikes up conversation with Kageyama. And Hinata thought that maybe Kageyama’s just awkward around girls in general, but then again, he never seemed so tongue-tied around Shimizu.</p>
<p>He also knows that neither of them are necessarily the type to act on their feelings for someone else. At least, not without a little push.</p>
<p>“Kageyama,” Hinata repeats. “What do you think about him?”</p>
<p>“Uh. Well, he’s a good setter,” she says. “You and him make a great combination on the court.”</p>
<p>Hinata stands a bit taller at the praise, even if getting it wasn’t his initial goal. “Thanks.” He shakes his head to remember his focus. “But, what about outside of volleyball?”</p>
<p>“Outside of volleyball?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! Like, apart from what he’s like on the court, or how good he is as a player, or whatever.”</p>
<p>Hinata expects Yachi to think about it for a moment or two, and he is more than happy to wait for her to admit her feelings in her own time — but her answer comes in almost as soon as Hinata closes his mouth.</p>
<p>“Well, you always say that he glares too much and that he scares people off, but he always seems nice to me,” she says. “Although, there are some times when I can’t tell if he’s forcing himself to be nice or if he’s just tired from the game, or maybe he’s distracted because he’s focusing on something he wants to perfect during training, or maybe…” She sighs sharply, cutting off her rambling. </p>
<p>Hinata snickers internally at the image of the King trying his absolute best to be a proper, good-mannered, kind, young man for Yachi. Kageyama going out of his way to be nice to someone probably <em> would </em> look like he’s forcing himself, but he never does something unprompted unless he wants to. </p>
<p>Yachi looks up at Hinata sheepishly. “The other day, he tried to give me a fistbump, but I thought he was reaching for a handshake, so I just…shook his fist…” There’s a light blush dusting her face now, reaching the tips of her ears. “I felt like dying, but he acted like it was a completely normal response.”</p>
<p>Hinata beams. “If he gave you a fistbump, then that’s good!”</p>
<p>Yachi’s brow furrows slightly. “Really? It is?”</p>
<p>“Yeah! Great, even! That means he really thinks you’re part of the team.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Yachi’s face brightens. “I’m glad.”</p>
<p>“Me, too,” Hinata says.</p>
<p>A small lull forms itself in the conversation. Hinata still wants to try his best to get his friends fully within each other’s sights; he just can’t help himself. He figures they need all the help they can get, because a confession from either of them on their own might not turn out the way anybody wants — he’s sure Kageyama will somehow manage to get every single word to come out the wrong way (either that or he’ll be needlessly intense about it — actually, probably both), and Yachi’s words could be rendered incoherent under the sea of her constant anxiety. He knows they should both just be themselves, but maybe he could still nudge them along on their way.</p>
<p>The last time he tried something like this, he asked Shimizu to please marry Tanaka — in front of the whole team during a time-out. It was another instance of Hinata just not being able to help himself, and it earned him a very stern (but mostly embarrassed) lecture from Tanaka afterwards on the many, many reasons he shouldn’t have done that the way he did. But, it turned out to be a valuable learning experience — he knows now that he needs to work on that part of him that’s ‘loud’ and ‘conspicuous’ or whichever word it was that Tanaka admonished him for being. This isn’t like being a decoy, where he has to draw as much attention to himself as possible; this needs to be as careful and quiet as the syncronised attack — he needs to fly so completely under the radar that Yachi won’t even notice he’s there. This time, he’s making sure to keep it subtle.</p>
<p>“So, how would you feel about dating Kageyama?”</p>
<p>Yachi turns as red as a tomato. “What?” she squeaks.</p>
<p>“Dating him,” Hinata repeats. “Like if you guys were boyfriend and girl—”</p>
<p>“No, I—I know what you mean!” she cuts him off. She scrunches her eyes shut and holds her still bright red cheeks between her hands.</p>
<p>“Oh, right. So, do you ever think about that?”</p>
<p>“What? No!” She fumbles with her words. “I never— He isn’t— That’s not ever going to happen!”</p>
<p>Hinata blinks. “Why not?”</p>
<p>Yachi moves her hands to cover her face. “Hinata…” she groans. “Just because.”</p>
<p>Hinata lets out a soft breath. He puts one hand on her shoulder and uses the other to bring back a hand from Yachi’s face. “You don’t have to be so pessimistic, you know.”</p>
<p>Yachi locks eyes with him, and all at once, there’s a sort of silent understanding between the two. She looks away from him. “Hinata,” she says, “can we stop talking about Kageyama?”</p>
<p>Hinata drops his hands to his sides. “Sure.”</p>
<p>Well, that backfired.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just so you know, you were more quiet than usual today.”</p>
<p>Kageyama pauses in closing the door to the clubroom to stare at Hinata. After a moment he pulls it shut the whole way and locks it. They were the last ones at practice again.</p>
<p>“Tell me that when I’m <em> on </em> the court, dumbass.” He stashes the clubroom key in his pocket as the two of them start making their way to the stairs.</p>
<p>“I didn’t think it had anything to do with the game, though. Or volleyball at all, actually.”</p>
<p>“What are you talking about?”</p>
<p>Hinata shrugs. “You tell me. What was up with you today?”</p>
<p>They’re silent as they make their way down the stairs. It’s only when they reach solid ground again that Kageyama speaks up.</p>
<p>“It’s not any of your business,” he mumbles.</p>
<p>“It <em> becomes </em> my business if it makes you shut up on the court like that.”</p>
<p>Hinata braces for another bite back from Kageyama, one probably involving liberal use of the word ‘dumbass’. It never comes, though, and Kageyama stares at his feet as they walk in silence.</p>
<p>Once they make it around to the front of the school, Kageyama sighs. It holds more sombreness in it than Hinata has seen in him in a while. </p>
<p>“I think I did something to offend Yachi.”</p>
<p>Hinata catches a sideways glance at him. “What do you mean?”</p>
<p>Kageyama fiddles with the strap of his bag. “You know how she…worries a lot? I think, lately, she’s been more…worried around me.”</p>
<p>Hinata almost says that he’s surprised Kageyama could pick up on someone else’s emotional state like that, but he doesn’t want to get hit. “I think you mean nervous.”</p>
<p>Kageyama stops dead in his tracks and scrunches his face up in thought. “I don’t want her to be nervous around me.”</p>
<p>Hinata stops walking as well. “Well, have you tried practicing your facial expressions to not <em> glare </em> all the time?” he jokes.</p>
<p>The tips of Kageyama’s ears turn red. “Yes.”</p>
<p>“Oh.” Hinata winces and apologises internally. “Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I mean, you know Yachi. She only gets nervous like that when she thinks something is <em> really, really </em> important and doesn’t wanna screw it up.”</p>
<p>Kageyama stares at him, face near blank. Jeez, these two really need more help than he first thought.</p>
<p>“She’s nervous around you because she cares what you think about her, like, <em> a lot. </em> You’re <em> important </em> to her.”</p>
<p>Kageyama’s expression barely changes in realisation, but it’s impossible for him to hide the slowly growing blush taking over his whole face. “Oh.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, <em> ‘oh’</em>, dummy,” Hinata scoffs, smiling. He starts walking again. “So, are you gonna ask her out, or what?”</p>
<p>“What?!” Kageyama exclaims, rooted in place. It takes a second before he catches up to Hinata. “Why would you jump to <em> that </em> conclusion?”</p>
<p>He looks up at him. “You like her, don’t you? You’re awkward — more awkward than <em> usual </em> — around her, and she’s always your number one pick when you want someone to help out with your individual training. And I swear you always try flashier moves during games if you think she’ll praise you after.”</p>
<p>“That’s not true!”</p>
<p>“Which part?”</p>
<p>“The…” He huffs. He looks at his feet. “I’m not <em> that </em> awkward around her, am I?” he grumbles.</p>
<p>Hinata laughs. “Well, anyways, I think you have a shot. She clearly likes you too.”</p>
<p>Kageyama’s face is practically <em> glowing </em> red in the evening light. “You don’t know that.”</p>
<p>“She does! If you ask her, she’ll say yes.”</p>
<p>“You don’t <em> know </em> that!”</p>
<p>“Then prove me wrong!” Hinata stops walking again. They’re outside of the school gates by now, right before they part ways. “I <em> promise </em> you that you’re important to her, in the same way that she is to you. You guys are just getting in your own way too much to see each other in front of you.”</p>
<p>Hinata can’t tell if Kageyama’s glare at him right now is fueled by confusion, deep thought, or just plain annoyance. He continues anyway.</p>
<p>“You two would be good together. <em> If </em> you ever actually got together.”</p>
<p>Kageyama thinks on Hinata’s words for a few seconds, just staring back at him. After what seems like hours, Kageyama nods, his expression sour. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Hinata.” He turns to start on his way home.</p>
<p>Hinata scoffs, staying planted as the distance steadily grows bigger, step by step. “Kageyama!” he calls out.</p>
<p>No response.</p>
<p>Maybe Hinata is worse at this than he thought.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell me what happened.”</p>
<p>They’re sitting in the shade behind the gymnasium.</p>
<p>“Nothing <em> happened.” </em></p>
<p>Hinata pulled Yachi away as soon as the lunch break started — there’s no way he’d be able to wait until practice this afternoon.</p>
<p><em> “Something </em> happened!” </p>
<p>The way Kageyama and Yachi were acting around each other this morning was <em> way </em> different than what Hinata’s used to. There’s usually more quick glances, badly concealed stuttering; less of the shy smiles and soft, hesitant touches he saw today.</p>
<p>“No! I just—” she collects herself, “I just asked him to walk me home, that’s all.”</p>
<p>“Yachi!” Hinata envelopes her in a crushing hug. “I’m so happy for you!”</p>
<p>“Hinata, I can’t breathe!”</p>
<p>“Sorry!” He lets her go. “But tell me! Did anything <em> happen? </em> Did you guys hold hands? Did he stay for dinner? Did he stay the <em> night?” </em></p>
<p>“No, nothing like that!” She says it so quickly her words almost blur together. Her face is flushed red, just the same as it was during the entirety of morning practice — Hinata’s half-way convinced this is just her new natural state. “But. He did ask me…”</p>
<p>Hinata can’t sit still. “What? Ask you what? What did he ask you?”</p>
<p>Yachi grabs Hinata’s hands, also unable to sit still. “We’re meeting up this weekend, just the two of us,” she says, like it’s a secret. “He asked me so quietly, I didn’t hear him at first!”</p>
<p>“He asked you on a date?” Hinata shouts.</p>
<p>“Um! I think so?” Yachi avoids eye contact. “He said we can brainstorm new tactics to try out, and analyse some games from the stronger teams at Nationals…”</p>
<p>Hinata covers his face with his hands and groans, falling back. “That idiot! Does he just have a volleyball where a brain should be? He needs a crash course in proper romance!”</p>
<p>Yachi laughs. It’s a little quick, but it’s loud and untethered. “I don’t know. I’m sorta glad it’s just volleyball for now.”</p>
<p>Hinata sits back up again and grins. “For now? Oh, so you have plans to continue, I see!”</p>
<p>Yachi hunches in on herself ever so slightly, a gentle smile taking rest on her features. “If it goes well, I guess…” she mumbles.</p>
<p>Hinata hugs her again. “You guys are gonna be so cute together!”</p>
<p>“Don’t say that! It’s so embarrassing!”</p>
<p>“But it’s true!”</p>
<p>“Still…”</p>
<p>They separate. Hinata sends out a silent plea to Kageyama to <em> please </em>not screw this up. </p>
<p>He sighs. “I am happy for you, Yachi. I’m glad it all worked out.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” she fiddles with her hands, smiling, “me, too.”</p>
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